Aphelopus incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino, 2022

Olmi, Massimo, Chen, Hua-Yan, Guglielmino, Adalgisa, Ødegaard, Frode, Vollaro, Massimo, Capradossi, Leonardo & Liu, Jing-Xian, 2022, DNA barcoding of Aphelopus Dalman (Hymenoptera, Dryinidae) from China, with descriptions of four new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 794 (1), pp. 40-71 : 46-49

Aphelopus incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A917F029-3AF2-451F-9B6B-CC215432441C

Figs 3–4 , 8A

Diagnosis

Female with head mostly testaceous, mesosoma mostly brown, notauli reaching about 0.6 × length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 4D ); OPL longer than OOL ( Fig. 4C ); frontal line incomplete, absent in front of anterior ocellus. Male with head black, antennal setae much shorter than breadth of antennomeres, mesosoma black, notauli reaching about 0.75–0.80 × length of mesoscutum, fore wing hyaline, metasoma browntestaceous, basivolsella with outer process and two subdistal bristles ( Fig. 8A ).

Etymology

The species is named ‛ incognitus ’ (Latin adjective meaning ‛unknown’) because it was first recognized as a new species by COI sequences. Otherwise it would remain unnoticed, because morphologically it is extremely similar to closely related species such as A. maculiclypeus Xu, He & Olmi, 1999 and A. spadiceus Xu & He, 1997 .

Material examined

Holotype CHINA • ♂; Yunnan, Shangri-la, Gaoshan Botanical Garden ; 27°53′47″ N, 99°38′22″ E; 30 May–5 Aug. 2018; Jie Zeng leg.; MT; SCAU 3011673 ( SYSBM).

Paratypes CHINA • 2 ♀♀; Beijing, Haidian District, Xiangshan Park ; 195 m a.s.l.; 39.98683° N, 116.19096° E; 21–28 Aug. 2012; Li-Zhou Song and Wan-Guang Du leg.; MT; SCAU 3011794 , SCAU 3040705 ( SYSBM) • 1 ♀; same locality as for preceding; 28 Aug.–4 Sep. 2012; SCAU 3040691 ( SYSBM) .

Description

Male ( Fig. 3 )

Fully winged ( Fig. 3A–B ); length 2.1 mm. Head black, except mandible testaceous; antenna brown; mesosoma black; metasoma and legs brown-testaceous. Antenna filiform; antennal setae much shorter than breadth of antennomeres; antennomeres in following proportions: 5:4:5:6:6:7:6:7:7:9. Head ( Fig. 3C ) dull, granulate; frontal line incomplete, absent in front of anterior ocellus; POL = 6; OL = 3; OOL = 4; OPL = 3; TL = 4; greatest breadth of lateral ocellus as long as OL; occipital carina complete, not excavated behind the ocellar triangle. Mesoscutum and mesoscutellum dull, granulate. Notauli incomplete, reaching approximately 0.7 × length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 3D ). Metanotum unsculptured. Metapectal-propodeal complex with disc dull, reticulate rugose; propodeal declivity with two longitudinal keels, median area shiny, unsculptured and lateral areas rugose. Fore wing hyaline, without dark transverse bands. Basivolsella ( Fig. 8A ) with two subdistal bristles and outer medial process. Tibial spurs 1/1/2.

Female ( Fig. 4 )

Fully winged ( Fig. 4A–B ); length 1.9 mm. Head ( Fig. 4C ) testaceous, except large brown spot on temple, vertex and posterior half of frons (with short testaceous arms along orbits); antenna brown, except scape and pedicel yellow; mesosoma dark brown, except propleuron and lateral regions of pronotum testaceous; metasoma brown-testaceous; legs testaceous. Antenna clavate; antennomeres in following proportions: 5:4:5:5:5:5:4:4:4:7. Head dull, granulate; frontal line incomplete, absent in front of anterior ocellus; POL = 5; OL = 4; OOL = 4; OPL = 5; TL = 3; greatest breadth of lateral ocellus shorter than OPL (2:5); occipital carina complete, not excavated behind ocellar triangle. Mesoscutum dull, granulate. Notauli incomplete, reaching about 0.6 × length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 4D ). Mesoscutellum dull, slightly granulate. Metanotum shiny, unsculptured. Disc of metapectal-propodeal complex reticulate rugose; propodeal declivity with two longitudinal keels, median area shiny and unsculptured and lateral areas rugose. Fore wing hyaline, without dark transverse bands. Tibial spurs 1/1/2.

Remarks

The female and male association of the new species is supported by the COI sequences, which are 99.2% identical between both sexes. This new species has been collected both in the Oriental (Yunnan) and Eastern Palaearctic (Beijing) region. In the Oriental region, following the above diagnosis, the female of A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov. is close to that of A. ochreus Olmi, 1984 . However, in the new species, the notauli reach about 0.6 × length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 4D ); OPL is longer than OOL ( Fig. 4C ); the frontal line is incomplete, absent in front of the anterior ocellus (in A. ochreus , the notauli are complete or reaching about 0.75–0.80 × length of mesoscutum; OPL is shorter than OOL; the frontal line is complete). Following the description of A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., the key to females of Oriental Aphelopus published by Xu et al. (2013) should be modified by replacing couplet 4 as follows.

4. Notauli complete or reaching about 0.6–0.8 × length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 4D ) ............................ 4’

– Notauli reaching at most 0.5 × length of mesoscutum ..................................................................... 5

4’. Notauli complete, or reaching about 0.75–0.80 × length of mesoscutum; OPL shorter than OOL; frontal line complete ....................................................................................... A. ochreus Olmi, 1984

– Notauli incomplete, reaching about 0.6 × length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 4D ); OPL longer than OOL ( Fig. 4C ); frontal line incomplete, absent in front of anterior ocellus ................................................ ............................................................................. A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov.

In the same Oriental region, following the above diagnosis, the male of A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov. is close to that of A. maculiclypeus Xu, He & Olmi, 1999 . However, in A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., POL is less than twice as long as OPL ( Fig. 3C ) and OPL is about as long as greatest breadth of lateral ocellus (in A. maculiclypeus, POL twice as long as OPL and OPL about twice as long as greatest breadth of lateral ocellus). Following the description of A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., the key to males of Oriental Aphelopus published by Xu et al. (2013) should be modified by replacing couplet 29 as follows.

29. Antennal setae much shorter than breadth of antennomeres ( Fig. 3A ) ......................................... 29’

– Antennal setae about as long as breadth of antennomeres ............................................................. 30

29’. Head with POL twice as long as OPL; OPL about twice as long as greatest breadth of lateral ocellus ................................................................................ A. maculiclypeus Xu, He & Olmi, 1999

– Head with POL less than twice as long as OPL ( Fig. 3C ); OPL about as long as greatest breadth of lateral ocellus ..................................................... A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov.

In the Eastern Palaearctic region, following the above diagnosis, the female of A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov. is close to that of A. maetoi Olmi, 1995 . However, in A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., the frontal line ( Fig. 3C ) is incomplete, absent in front of anterior ocellus, whereas in A. maetoi it is complete. Following the description of A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., the key to females of Eastern Palaearctic Aphelopus published by Olmi & Xu (2015) should be modified by replacing couplet 8 as follows:

8. Head with almost entire face white or testaceous ( Olmi & Xu 2015: pl. 5d) ..................................... ....................................................................................................................... A. querceus Olmi, 1984

– Head with anterior third or half of face white or testaceous ( Fig. 4C ) ............................................ 8’

8’. Frontal line complete ....................................................................................... A. maetoi Olmi, 1995

– Frontal line incomplete, absent in front of anterior ocellus ( Fig. 4C ) ................................................ ............................................................................. A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov.

In the same Eastern Palaearctic region, following the above diagnosis, the male of A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov. is close to that of A. spadiceus Xu & He in Xu et al., 1997. However, in A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., the basivolsella shows an outer process in medial position ( Fig. 8A ), whereas it is in distal position in A. spadiceus ( Olmi & Xu 2015: pl. 5j). Following the description of A. incognitus, Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov. the key to males of Eastern Palaearctic Aphelopus published by Olmi & Xu (2015) should be modified by replacing couplet 9 as follows:

9. Frontal line complete .................................................................................... A. querceus Olmi, 1984

– Frontal line widely incomplete, not present near clypeus, or almost complete, not present in front of anterior ocellus ( Fig. 3C ) ................................................................................................................. 9’

9’. Basivolsella with outer basal process located in distal position ( Fig. 8E ) .......................................... ............................................................................................................... A. spadiceus Xu & He, 1997

– Basivolsella with outer basal process located in medial position ( Fig. 8A ) ....................................... ............................................................................. A. incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 3. Aphelopus incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., ♂, holotype (SCAU 3011673). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head, frontal view. D. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view.

Fig. 4. Aphelopus incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., ♀, paratype (SCAU 3011794). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head, dorsal view. D. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view.

Fig. 8. Male genitalia: A. Aphelopus incognitus Chen, Olmi & Guglielmino sp. nov., ♂, holotype. B. Aphelopus maculiala Olmi, Chen & Ødegaard sp. nov., ♂, holotype. C. Aphelopus taianensis Olmi, Ødegaard & Chen sp. nov., ♂, holotype. D. Aphelopus zaifui Olmi, Chen & Liu sp. nov., ♂, paratype. E. Aphelopus spadiceus Xu & He, ♂ from China, Sichuan, Wolong. F. Aphelopus serratus Richards, 1939, ♂ from Leicester (England, UK). Right half removed.